The Puritans didn't approve of its celebration, and for part
of the 17th century, Christmas was banned in Boston as a public nuisance. Too
much revelry. But the urge to have fun at this time of the year began long
before anyone attached a significant birthday to it. We seem pretty much
hardwired to drink from the cup of cheer at this time of the year. One of the
places you can dip your cup is the theatrical punchbowl where ingredients are
spiced and spiked to most any taste.

The definition of a holiday show has been stretched wide
beyond "A Christmas Carol," and around these parts, it can mean
transgressive variations on Yuletide merriments and shows with no specific
holiday connections beyond stories that may or may not be suitable for families
but can feed seasonal urges. Here unwrapped are some productions that can help
with those longings.

Sketch artists

The touring arm of Chicago's legendary Second City is at
Berkeley Rep with its "Dysfunctional Holiday Revue." It's billed as a
chance to see "the stars of tomorrow," and just a few of the comedy
greats who have passed through the ranks since 1959 include John Belushi, Steve
Carell, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Gilda Radner. The collection of
holiday-slanted improvised and scripted sketches runs through Dec. 31. Tickets
at berkeleyrep.org.

Killing My Lobster, San Francisco's own long-running
sketch-comedy troupe, has taken up residence at PianoFight for the holidays.
"KLM Presents: A Bag of Dickens," running through Dec. 16, is the
work of six performers and seven writers who deconstruct various traditions of
the season. Tickets at
pianofight.com.

Donning our gay apparel

What would the holidays be in San Francisco without another
go-round of "The Golden Girls Live: The Christmas Episodes" at the
Victoria Theatre? This reenactment of stories culled from the NBC series, presented
by local drag luminaries, has become more popular each year. Tickets are scarce
to see Heklina, D'Arcy Drollinger, Matthew Martin, and Holotta Tymes through
Dec. 23, but you can try your luck at
goldengirlssf.com.

With Oasis hosts Heklina and Drollinger jingling their bells
at the Victoria, the Drunk Drag Broadway players will be offering their new
deal for Christmas at Oasis. "MAnnie," running through Dec. 10, is
described as the story of a little redheaded "whorphan," her
gender-bending gal pals, billionaire sugar daddies, plus characters who wander
in from other Broadway musicals. The singing is live, in case you were
wondering. Tickets at sfoasis.com.

Five actors play more than 30 characters in a less-is-more adaptation of "Around the World in 80 Days" at TheatreWorks. Photo: Kevin Berne

Not necessarily the Yule

It may have a character named Christmas Eve, but "Avenue
Q" has nothing to do with any holiday. Even so, it has become a popular
tradition at New Conservatory Theatre Center, where the people-and-puppets
musical is back for its fifth annual production, timed to the festive season
and running through Jan. 7. Two alternating casts have let the theater schedule
more performances per week for what has become a box office champion. Tickets
at nctcsf.org.

If there be Scotch pines amid the botanicals in "The
Secret Garden," you won't find one with tinsel and garlands inside the
bleak mansion on the Yorkshire moors. But with its child-centric story of lives
rekindled, the 1991 Broadway musical is 42nd Street Moon's choice for the
season, running through Dec. 24 at the Gateway Theatre. Based on Frances
Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel, the musical tells the tale of orphaned Mary
Lennox, who is sent to live with her misanthropic uncle in a house of secrets
and unhappiness that she helps resolve. Tickets at 42ndstmoon.org.

Five actors quick-change their ways through more than 30
roles and a dozen countries in Mark Brown's adaptation of "Around the
World in 80 Days." Instead of going big, as some previous stage
adaptations have attempted, this 2008 version has fun with the
smaller-is-better approach to Jules Verne's novel. It's the holiday offering
for TheatreWorks, running through Dec. 31 at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo
Alto. Tickets at theatreworks.org.

Comic Gary Gulman is one of the headliners at the 25th
annual edition of "Kung Pao Kosher Comedy."

Rainbows & steamed rice

Two only-in-SF traditions are back for 2017. Connie
Champagne began channeling Frances Gumm for the holidays more than 25 years
ago, and after sitting out 2016, she's back with "The Judy Garland
Christmas Show" on Dec. 15 at Oasis.

It's the 25th year for "Kung Pao Kosher Comedy,"
born of the Jewish tradition to head to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas.
Cathy Ladman, Wendy Liebman, and Gary Gulman are the headliners, with founder
Lisa Geduldig as the emcee at the New Asia Restaurant. There are dinner and
cocktail shows on Dec. 23-25. Tickets at
koshercomedy.com.

The walking dead

It's not Santa red that a cast member is sporting at a
rehearsal of a holiday show, but the first sign that a zombie apocalypse is
engulfing San Francisco. DIVA or Die Burlesque is presenting "Just Another
Zombie Holiday Show" at Exit Theatre through Dec. 16, with eight local
burlesque acts trying to put on a show despite expanding necrotic circumstances.
Tickets at theexit.org.